Marines are not human. They are post-human geneticly engineered killing machines. They themselves refer to normal humans as, "Humans". They, in turn, are refered to as "Astartes". I've also read in some of the earlier horus heresy novels that they were technicly Homo Sapien Astartes. A variation on the same theme perhaps, but still something other than the norm. Either way, are you going to go up and question a marines' right to fight for you? Perhaps this whole debate is the story of the Wolves existance. And the Salamanders...And...well..you know where this is going.
I'd say they're a form of human. I wouldn't call them a separate species because they can't reproduce. They have to be created. Wait, does it ever say if Space Marines were altered at the chromosomal level?
I am not Human in the real world. I refer to me as one being part of the Fatman race. My Fatman´s are not humans, we weight more then we should and we carry large energy reservoirs in our stomachs and all over the places on our bodies, this allows to survive longer in desert´s and keep us warm during cold times, fatman´s are not humans because we have adapted and changed into a new race. Skinny man´s are not human, they weight below their own weight and are super powered in the forms of weightless transportation, they are extremely fast but due to being able to not hold large quantities of energythey can not perform this action for far too long. Humans, the race we despise they are normal in all ways, weight is optimal and well balanced in all ways so is the habits and their live´s, a truly waste of space, we look down upon this race as they are merely lower then us in terms of evolution and adaptation skinnyman´s and fatman´s are the new world order of breeds. We despise this race and we look down upon those so called "humans".......now Onwards my brethren to McDonald´s!
Fuck the Space Marine machines. I'll lead 10 million Guardsmen against them and they'll witness the true un-augmented strength of Mankind.
Correct me if I am wrong but it seems like they have their genes modified and then their bodies are made to adjust, sort of like dying and being reborn, so I don't think they would be homo sapien. I think they would still be humans though.
Hmmm I see it from the opposite point of view... you cant be Human with out showing humanity, Fear, Love, Lust, Greed, Jealousy, Empathy, Mortality etc... All of which are traits that Space Marines do not have. They are not entirely human... in my opinion
I think what causes the debate is that they haven't retained their "human mentality" they are physically, mentally and spiritually superior and advanced than humans.
Like comparing Homo Erectus to Homo Sapiens. In short... In body no... In mind, hard to tell. Some seem to stay close to the human way of thinking and functioning. But more often they are "needed" to think differently. Because otherwise they can't function as they are intended to do. Namely; brutal and calculating unfearing badars mofo's.
They are genetically different. Different structural system. Different organs. Larger. Faster. "Smarter". Adeptus Astartes are definitely not the same species. But they are the same Genus I would say. Homo Astartes?
